Fit Fare

An attractive crudité platter is a party essential. A healthy variety of vegetables accompanied by a low fat dip or hummus can be your best friend if you are concerned about your health. There is no reason a crudité platter has be the most boring part of a party. The trick is to have a variety of vegetables that are colorful, tasty and easy to eat.  Here are some tips on how to make a colorful, flavorful vegetable platter that would be hard to pass up. 

• Cherry tomatoes are a favorite, but some times a little messy. Try to buy the tiniest ones you can find-something that can be eaten in one bite is best. 
• Parboil (also known as blanching- boil the vegetables briefly then plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking) broccoli, cauliflower, baby corn, tiny Brussels sprouts, celeriac,  long green beans, small okra, thin asparagus  and snow peas to brighten their color and keep them crisp. 
• Carrots are most elegant when served with tiny bits of their green tops still attached. This also provides a convenient “handle” for dipping. 
• Celery can be cut into manageable sticks days before the party and kept crisp in a bowl of water in the refrigerate ready to drain and serve the day of the event. You can keep red radish and daikon radish sticks fresh in this same manner. 
• Steamed baby potatoes are an unexpected addition to a vegetable platter but will require the use of forks. 
• Baby zucchini, fennel bulbs, yellow squash, peeled kohlrabi, cucumber and  jicama don’t require parboiling and can be cut into thin sticks for easy serving. 
• Endive (also known as chicory) is a slightly usual dipper that is low in calories. The leaves can be carefully peeled off and make an excellent “scoop” for dips. 

Arrange the vegetables on a large tray or in several small bowls arranged around a large bowl of dip or hummus. Some people enjoy placing the dip in a hollowed out loaf of bread or cabbage but I find that bread gets soggy and cabbage can go limp. A  pretty bowl is a safer bet, especially if the food may be sitting out for a while.

Hummus is a classic and healthy dip that is safe to leave out longer than sour cream or cream cheese based dips. Any of the above vegetables would go wonderfully with it.

Classic Hummus
(originally appeared on Coconut & Lime)

16 oz canned chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsps tahini
1 Tbsps garlic powder
2-3 Tbsps olive oil
salt to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the chickpeas (in their liquid) until warm. Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Place chickpeas, tahini. garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic powder into a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth, adding some of the reserved liquid to achieve a smooth texture. Sample and add more garlic, lemon or salt according to taste. Note: the flavor of the hummus will mellow when refrigerated. 

Serving suggestion: serve cold on a plate sprinkled with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil surrounded by vegetables and pita wedges.